Saturday, February 13, 2010

Exercise as a Prescription

Every day, every where we look, there’s a study, a news article, a blog, or a health professional explaining how important exercise is for our health. We know exercise can help decrease cholesterol levels, keep blood pressure in check, minimize the amount of insulin a diabetic would have to take, and flat out make you “feel good” (It really does… by increasing the amount of endorphins released in your brain). So we know it is good for us, and many people reading this are probably partaking in exercise on a regular basis. But we must ask ourselves some important questions.

·Are we doing the right exercises?

·Are we performing the exercises correctly?

·Are we really exercising enough?

In order to choose the correct exercises one should talk to a health professional regarding any underlying pathologies. It is important to contact an individual who not only has extensive education regarding health of the human body but also someone who can modify your exercise program based on your overall health condition, your needs, and your “aches and pains.” Physical therapists fill this need and are a great transition point for those just entering the world of exercise.

It is interesting to me, as a physical therapist, to hear friends who go to their general practitioner, only to come back and tell me “my doctor told me I need to exercise more.” Yes, there are even scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles stating that those groups who where prescribed “exercise” perform better on most objective measures than those who were not. It is my belief that those exercises need to be prescribed by those who have the education to do so. One thing you will never hear is a doctor tell you, “You’re sick, just take some drugs.” No, that doctor is diligent enough to tell you which drug, how often, and what to watch for in terms of side effects. The physical therapists at Hayashida and Associates can truly prescribe you exercises based on your biomechanics and current strength and agility levels. And best of all you will perform the exercises correctly, minimizing any chance for injury.

It is recommended for the average American to exercise 30 minutes a day, close to all days of the week. This exercise should address cardiovascular health, strength, flexibility and balance. If you are currently not maintaining this level of exercise or you need guidance on how to perform exercises correctly Hayashida and Associates offers both one-on-one personal training and group fitness classes.